The Good Bacteria You Can Catch at Christmas

No need to candy-coat this research—the fun-loving people you hang out with for Christmas may improve your health. 

Surrounding yourself with loved ones during the holidays can have a positive effect on your gut health. Shutterstock

It turns out holiday celebrations aren’t all bad for our gut health—even if an extra helping of pie and spirits aren’t especially helpful for our waistlines or immune systems.

Research suggests that when you are surrounded by loved ones, your microbial signature enjoys a boost of health-protective bacteria—regardless of how you eat. Your microbiome is the community of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living in your gut that help contribute to your immune system and promote your overall physical and mental wellness.

When it comes to how we share microbes, the bulk of research has focused on pathogenic “bugs” and disease-causing transmission. But many species of gut bacteria are protective for our health and even help us fight off invaders collectively known as “germs.”

Sharing Good Bugs

Research suggests that close contact with others has positive effects on our gut microbiome. A 2015 study of baboons determined that grooming behavior—not diet—explained similar microbial makeup among the social network of animals. Human research four years later validated the concept, noting that married couples had more closely matched microbial signatures than siblings.

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Published in Scientific Reports, the study revealed more microbial diversity and richness in the microbiomes of those who were married than in the microbiomes of those living alone. Having a diverse microbial community with an abundance of microscopic creatures is associated with health.

The study showed that the closer the relationships, the greater diversity in the subjects’ microbiomes. The authors noted the finding’s significance in light of previous research showing longevity and other health benefits among those who are married.

“Locking yourself up at home alone to stay away from germs is hugely detrimental, from my point of view,” Mays Al-Ali, a naturopath and gut health nutritionist, told The Epoch Times. “The bottom line is that spending time with loved ones socializing can improve your gut health. And of course, the human interaction that brings joy, endorphins, community, and union is so beneficial to the gut and health on all levels.”

The Opposite Effect

On the flip side, relationships that bring stress may be detrimental to the gut as hypothesized in a 2021 Frontiers Nutrition article on how microbiota can be affected when marriage ends.

Another study sought to find out whether visiting the in-laws at Christmas could have a damaging effect on gut bugs. The unusual study had just 28 participants comparing the microbiomes of those who spent Christmas with their own family with the microbiomes of those who visited with in-laws. Each group had a distinct microbial profile.

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Reported in the Human Microbiome Journal, the study didn’t ask participants whether they were stressed about spending time with in-laws, but those who were with in-laws experienced a significant decrease in all Ruminococcus species, low levels of which have been associated with depression and psychological stress.

The group that visited with their own family had more variety in species, which the authors hypothesized had to do with an increase in physical contact with their relatives.

Although she said it may be a leap to pin the findings on stress, Vanessa Ruiz said that the research may validate how psychological experiences affect the physical body even as we age. Ms. Ruiz is a naturopathic doctor and national speaker on adverse childhood experiences who teaches at Rewire Trauma Therapy.

Harmoniously Healthy Holidays

Recent studies show that the microbiome may play a role in the brain development of babies. It’s already been noted that babies’ health responds positively when they receive physical bonding and eye contact, which increases cognition and social recognition and engagement.

“There’s a lot of really good science looking at the positive side of how harmonious relationships and being around those people that we really attach to can actually dampen down the parts of our brain that are wired for defensiveness, the fight or flight response,” Ms. Ruiz said.

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People who appreciate one another and feel joy in the company of each other tend to synchronize their heart rates to each other, too, she pointed out. Although the mechanism is poorly understood, research in a 2017 article in Frontiers in Public Health showed that this happens in lab and natural settings.

Ms. Ruiz said humans are meant for social engagement, belonging, and attachment—which all help the nervous system regulate.

“Being around people we are familiar with will actually help to optimize oxytocin—that’s the bonding hormone—and that will help us feel calmer,” she said. “When we are around people who are [self-] regulated and we are connected to, we actually will start to synchronize with them in a number of ways.”

Coping With the Negative

However, the holiday season brings with it busy schedules, excessive drinking and sugar, travel, and even abrasive personalities at holiday gatherings with family and friends. All can cause a rise in both stress and gut symptoms.

Ms. Ruiz said it helps to be mindful about your schedule and intentional about who you spend time with. This might mean reducing time spent at gatherings, rather than bowing out altogether.

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It can be helpful to avoid overcommitting and attending back-to-back events that don’t give you time to decompress in between, she added. Factoring in transition time can also offer an opportunity to schedule time for self-care, such as meditation.

“Of course, we all need rest and recovery time,” said Ms. Al-Ali, who is also a yoga teacher and retreat leader. “Meditation is hugely healing for health and gut health ... Get out there and socialize, but when you are at home, meditate.”

A calendar crammed with obligations can be stressful in itself. Ms. Ruiz said you can better prepare by being mindful in advance. For instance, if you know you will be spending time with someone who has been difficult to deal with in the past, she has three suggestions:

• Take time to evaluate your own expectations beforehand.
• Prepare yourself to be on alert for even small moments of connection.
• Be grateful for the easy moments and acknowledge that even those small and sparse connections can help meet your needs.

“We almost want the relationship to be a certain way, and maybe some people don’t have the capacity,” Ms. Ruiz said. “There are so many considerations ... so many obligations. We often take them on to foster the relationship, to enhance the connection. And there are benefits to us, but it is still stress.”

Dealing With Digestive Discomfort

Although stress and joy have opposing effects on the gut microbiome, those transformations also occur in the context of diet. Overindulging in food—including much that may be outside our normal diet—and alcohol will also affect our gut health.

Ms. Al-Ali offered these tips to soothe digestive discomfort:

• Most heartburn isn’t caused by specific foods but rather by portion sizes. Avoid overeating and common triggers such as stress, alcohol, spicy food, chocolate, caffeine, tomatoes, and citrus.
• Avoid eating too quickly and overdoing it with rich, fatty foods. These may cause bloating.
• Slow down and be present while eating.
• Try drinking lemon water with diluted apple cider vinegar at the start of meals to avoid indigestion.
• Probiotics and fermented foods can help optimize gut flora.
• Bitter herbs and digestive enzymes can aid in digestion.
• For an upset stomach, try drinking ginger, fennel, and peppermint teas after meals.